


Bitten

by littledragon94



Series: Chocolate & Cardigans [Of Remus Lupin and his Shenanigans] [1]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Gen, Violence, Werewolf Bites
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-15
Updated: 2015-12-15
Packaged: 2018-05-06 23:50:49
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,030
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5435432
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/littledragon94/pseuds/littledragon94
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>It was a week before his fifth birthday when Remus Lupin's world was ripped apart by sharp claws and jagged teeth that reeked of death.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Bitten

Remus dreamt of a forest. It was a cold forest, with the chill wind whipping the scent of mud and dirt all around him. He shivered in his thin flannel pyjamas. The trees creaked around him and he caught a whiff of sweat. Remus stirred.

He heard a groan of wood under strain and wondered what it could be. A small voice at the back of his mind whispered that he wasn’t really in a forest; he was at home, in bed. He shouldn’t be shivering in the wind. He shouldn’t have the odour of wet dog teasing his senses.

The blue striped curtains covering the window blew open in the breeze and the full moon gazed down on Remus’ small, slumbering form; much like Remus loved to gaze up at the moon and its ethereal silver light.

Remus’ father didn’t feel the same. For the past few months, Remus had caught Lyall Lupin casting uneasy looks through the window when he tucked Remus into bed. He had done the same that very night, bidding Remus a good night and warning him not to let the bedbugs bite, shooting one last glance at the moon before closing the door of his four year old son’s bedroom.

Remus was too young to fully understand what was going on, but he knew bad things were happening in the world, and that was why his father had to go into work more often.

His forehead twitched as the tendrils of moonlight pried him from the depth of his subconscious, warning him, trying to protect him.

Remus raised a hand to shield the bright silver spotlight from his eyes.

Something scraped outside the window and Remus sat bolt upright in his bed. He had never been scared of the monsters under his bed, or in the wardrobe, or in the dark of the night. It was his daddy’s job to make them go away, so there couldn’t be any monsters in his room. But there was definitely something outside of his window.

The curtain settled back in place, concealing the bright moon. Remus’ heart raced. Something felt wrong. Carefully, he slipped out of bed and padded barefoot across the room to turn on the main light.

He couldn’t see anything through the curtain; it must have been his imagination. He flicked off the light, but as he took a step back to his bed he heard a crunch. Remus’ eyes widened in fear as a shadow fell and grew upon the fabric of the curtain, shapeless, looming larger and larger until it filled the whole of his window.

Remus tried to call out for his parents but his voice had fled. He could only stand there, four years old, paralysed with fear, pressed against his bedroom wall with only a thin pane of glass separating him from Merlin-knows-what outside.

The world exploded in a loud crash and a shatter of glass. Remus cried out, covering his head with his arms to protect his head. The sharp shards of glass tore at his flannel pyjamas. Searing pain ripped through his upper arm as strong jaws clamped around his bicep and pierced his skin, breaking through muscle and bone like a knife through butter. Remus struggled but he wasn’t strong enough. He thrashed to the side, crying out for his parents, tears streaming down his face. He used his other arm to hit with all his might at whatever had his arm - he felt fur - it released him.

Remus spun around and scrambled backwards, away from the thing in his room, trying to reach the door. Claws swiped at his face as a huge wolf jumped over him, blocking the door.

Remus’ heart threatened to burst from his chest as terror coursed through his veins. He could do no more than whimper with tears blurring his vision as the wolf bared down on him, long canines bared, snarling. It’s short snout was wrinkled, a pink furless scar running across it. The rest of the wolf’s fur was long and shaggy, matted in many places - even missing in chunks. Shards of glass glinted in the fur, catching the silver moonlight. But what scared Remus the most were the wolf’s eyes; small pupils stared at Remus, glittering with intelligence.

Remus’ door burst open just as the wolf lunged for Remus. Padded paws pushed Remus off his feet, claws sliced through his pyjama shirt to pierce his skin and draw blood. Jaws snapped a hair’s breadth from his face. He flew backwards, colliding with the wooden frame of his bed. He heard his mother scream.

Remus’ eyes were closing. He heard bangs - several of them - accompanied by bright flashes and whelps and growls from the wolf. Remus couldn’t work out what was going on. He could barely see, his eyesight grew dim - Remus panicked, was he going blind? Then he was floating - someone had picked him up.

‘Remus! Remus!’ His father’s voice came from far away. ‘Say something!’

Remus tried to open his eyes, but his body refused to comply. Every inch of him ached and the darkness of pain threatened to drown him. He felt cold, yet his arm burned like fiendfyre.

‘Hope, get the dittany! We need to get him to St Mungos!’

Remus groaned in pain as his body was jostled. Lyall was carrying him down the stairs, and in his haste he wasn’t being careful about it.

‘I’ll have to take him.’ Lyall’s voice broke. Remus couldn’t make out what his mother said in reply. ‘I’ll make sure he’s okay, then I’ll come and get you. Stay in here and stay safe; he shouldn’t come back.’

Lyall’s grip on Remus tightened, Remus tried to tell him to stop, he hurt too much already. Lyall sobbed, he said he was sorry. Over and over again. Remus couldn’t open his eyes, the darkness was pulling him down.

‘Hold on, Remus.’

Then Remus couldn’t breathe. He was suffocating. The darkness was all around, the wind whipping at his hair. The only thing he could feel as he surrendered to the blackness around him was his burning arm and his father’s arms; gripping him tight and not letting go.

 

 

**Author's Note:**

> I am so very sorry for this.   
> I just had to get it out of my system and it has been loitering on my laptop since I read Remus' bio on Pottermore.   
> Now I hope for this to be free to inflict as much angst as I feel over Remus Lupin to the rest of the internet.
> 
> For anyone who read my works on FF.net, I'll be rewriting my Remus fic (Chocolate & Cardigans) to upload here as a series. I hope you enjoy both the fluff and the pain that it is sure to bring.


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